What Managers, General Managers, Coaches, And Directors Of Player Operations/Procurement Look For During Independent Baseball Tryouts
http://www.IndependentMinorLeagueBaseball.com
If you plan to attend an independent baseball tryout in the upcoming season you might want to know what managers, general managers, coaches and directors of player operations or directors of player procurement look for during independent baseball tryouts and if you want more information about independent minor league baseball go to IndependentMinorLeagueBaseball.com.
To start for position players the general consensus is they look for foot speed something that you can’t really teach and is tough to improve or they don’t have the budgets to help improve with all advance speed conditioning drills. They need you to have your speed ready to go at the event. Now catchers are a different animal but for all position players other than catchers foot speed in the 60 yard dash and then later on the home to first and the afternoon scrimmage, one of the things they look for they really do love and respect raw speed.
They also look for overall arm strength that is the outfielders throwing from field to 3rd. The infielders throwing across the diamond and catchers with your pop time from home the 2nd, later on they will look for overall hitting mechanics but that comes second and it’s only if you make the afternoon scrimmage. Some tryouts they have a scrimmage where all participants can participant in or they may cut you after the morning portion which is the 60 yard dash the arm test and then the home to first or any other drills and in the scrimmage is for the players that they want to see especially for a large turn out for a tryout. They’ll filter it down with the afternoon scrimmage being only the ones that they want to take a second look at.
Pitchers, fastball location, movement and velocity, the big three their always looking for that and their looking for a command of second and 3rd pitches, they try it at the independent level their raising the barometer in terms of the talent. They want to make sure that you have command of at least a fastball and a second pitch with a decent third pitch preferably command of all three and if you have a 4th or a 5th fantastic.
Also they will give you instructions, so say you are facing a right hand bat or they want to break a curve ball over the inside corner so they throw it to his backside and then break it in late. They’ll give instructions like that then it’s up to you to do that and work with catcher. Usually, this is done in the ball pen. Now what they made you off the main mount again depending on the stadium configuration and the number of people who are attending the tryout so listen to what they say and throw exactly what they want and make sure you’re getting positive feedback if you’re a pitcher.
The afternoon scrimmage, for everybody, position players, catchers everyone needs to showcase your baseball athleticism not just your 60 yard dash speed but how fast are you in a real game. How strong are you in a game? Can you dive? Can you make plays over the wall? Can you feel the round balls properly etcetera?
Also showcase your baseball instincts in your decision making. Do know when it’s advantageous at a high level of speed to turn 6-4-3 double play or do you throw across the diamond and play conservative. These instincts are things that their looking for. Also their looking for how you carry yourself and you’re body language meaning do you want to be there. That’s something that a lot of guys go and they self sabotage. Some gradually a lot talent have flamed out these tryouts and then blamed the system when they themselves were the ones who just walked in there with their heads lurching forward or their head leaning down almost indicating that they were scared to succeed. They want people who want to be there and are willing to play for a full season.
Leadership, they want to actually see those who actually lead on the field, those that can command the respect of others at an open tryout because you’re going to need to have this type of leadership command as time goes on and during this course of the season and on a minor level your dress. Basically, they want to make sure you know how to dress like a professional and you respect the uniform and you respect the game. It’s a minor point but once you have passed all the athleticism things, they will take a look at your dressing and how you conduct yourself and how you carry yourself including your style of dress just to make sure that you’re someone worth putting out because again you’re not like representing yourself, you will be also representing the team and sometimes even your city depending on where you’re playing.
So if you want more information on upcoming independent baseball tryouts and have your name added to a database of perspective players, the GMs, managers, coaches, directors of player operations and even league officials will get this database. Go to IndependentMinorLeagueBaseball.com click the link in the upper left hand corner to get started and then in part 2 this video series we’ll discuss what to do once you pass the first round of the tryout when you actually had the chance to sit down and talk with one of the teams management how you can conduct yourself.
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